Gold
by Paperlight
Summary: Perhaps it's fate. Perhaps it's love. Perhaps they are both working hand in hand to bring Santana Lopez and Lucy Quinn Fabray together. The question isn't will they, but when. Watch the two fall for each other in this story of new love, loss, and hope.
1. Chapter 1

Hello. Just a quick point, the point of view changes. First it's Santana, then Quinn and so on.

* * *

Even though I'm only a couple minutes late to see my first patient of the day those few minutes still irks me. I've been on this job for only a couple of months and I need to prove I can do this. I hit the hand sanitizer dispenser outside of the room a lot harder than I intended in my rush to not be any later. I take a deep breath trying to rid myself of frustration toward myself before entering the hospital room.

"Daniella Ramos?" I announce into the room. I add a slight knock for good measure before entering.

"Hm?" A voice floats from behind the curtain.

"It's the nutritionist may I come in?"

I hear a slight rustling on the other side before the voice comes through the curtain again. "Yes."

Pulling back the curtain I walk into the small space and all that comes to my mind is she's beautiful. Even sitting in a hospital bed with the simple gown she's breathtaking. Her dazzling green eyes gaze directly at me, startling something in me. In contrast to the rest of the woman's sickly body her eyes look so alive.

"Good morning, I'm Santana Lopez one of the nutritionist here. How are you doing today?" I ask.

"Fine." The woman says a small smile coming to her lips.

"Like I said before I'm your nutritionist." I say for the billionth time. Her gaze is so unnerving, that on top of her beauty has me awestruck. I have a job to do though as I start to convey who I am and what I do like always. "What I'm here for is to ensure you are eating only the foods your body will use to help you stay healthy. I work together with your nurses and doctor to make sure you get the absolute best care. We'll meet twice a week for check ups and to see what may or may not be working. Did you have any questions?"

She shakes her head and I can't help but think how cute the simple gesture is before she speaks up again. "Not now. I may have some later. The medicine makes my brain a bit muddled."

"I understand. There's-"

The sound of the rumble of the wheels on the food cart entering the room, pushed by one of the kitchen staff interrupts our conversation. "Good morning, Lucy. Hello, doc." A man says to us respectively halting the cart a few feet from the edge of the bed.

"Good morning." I hear her say as he brings out a tray. I stay quietly confused as I question if I heard the man call her Lucy.

"Could you help me swing this over?" The woman ask gesturing to the table immediately snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Sure." I say. Once it's over her lap, I adjust it to her liking as the kitchen staff guy places her breakfast onto it.

"I hope you enjoy." He says smiling. "Be seeing you at lunch."

"Thank you." She says, as he retreats out of the room.

"Um. Why did he call you Lucy?" I ask.

"Lucy is my name." She says simply, before looking up at me.

I hold up my hand before looking at my schedule which clearly says, 'Danielle Ramos'. "I thought your name was Daniella Ramos?"

Now it's her turn to look incredibly confused, her eyebrows furrow as she places her fork back down. "No. My name is Lucy Quinn Fabray, last time I checked." She bites her lip looking toward the ceiling before she nods slightly. "Yep. I'm pretty sure."

"But I asked you and you replied?"

"I wasn't sure what you said. I just heard you. The medicine makes me loopy in the morning." She smiles widely before starting to laugh. Her laugh is beautiful just like her, still it doesn't make me feel any less dumb.

"I'm sorry. I." Apologize flow out from my mouth before she cuts me off.

"Don't be. You're cute when your flustered." She says still laughing perhaps not even realizing what she said. Most people don't tell people they just met they're cute.

I pause before smiling at her. Our gazes hold before I break it, looking down toward the floor. "I must have walked into the wrong room. It's been a long morning."

Lucy throws up her hand. "It's fine. We all make mistakes." She says taking a sip of her orange juice. "It's not like you gave out any of her information."

"Yeah." I say. "I have to go." Even though I don't really want to. She's compelling and it's not just her beauty. But I have to find the real Daniella Ramos. "I'm so sorry once again." I say approaching the door before turning around. "It was really nice to meet you. Lucy."

"You too."

I hear as I walk out the room feeling like an idiot.

* * *

She's all alone. Papers off to the side of her as she reads something off of them, eating her lunch simultaneously. She looks so beautiful even doing the mundanest things. To be honest I've been waiting for this moment to happen. It's been a week since I've seen her last. She might not even remember who I am. I think before making my way over towards her. Screw it I decide, I may be going home soon. Doctor Nev says I've been doing well. If I make a complete idiot of myself I may never have to see her again. All though I'd really love too. I walk over to the table where she's seated.

"Hi." I say.

She looks up from her lunch and smiles. So she does remember, I think to myself. That is a good thing. I'm not sure if she's embarrassed or what but she only smiles. It makes me almost loose my nerve but I'm already here so I continue as bold as I can.

"Can I sit here?"

She quickly moves some papers out of the way. "S-Sure." She says after clearing her throat. Maybe I'm not the only one who's nervous.

"Thank you." I say once I'm seated. Looking back at Santana the smile is still on her face. "I wasn't sure if I was going to see you again."

Santana smile turns into a smirk. "Here I am."

"I'm glad." I say, pouring the dressing over my salad when I realize I don't have a fork. "Shoot. I forgot a fork."

As soon as I almost gets up Santana shoots out of her chair. "No. Sit. I'll go get it."

Her lab coat swishes by as I catch a whiff of her scent. Strawberries and coconuts. She really is something like a dream.

"Here." She says handing it to me. Her fingers brush and I feel giddy inside.

"Thanks." I look to her. "So, did you ever find Daniella?"

Santana smiles straight at me. "Yes."

* * *

"I'll help you back up to your room, no need to get a nurse." I tell her after we're both finished.

I knew that day I accidently went to her room there was something about her. Lucy is both sweet and fierce. I couldn't help but hang onto her every word as she regaled her intriguing stories of being a student at Yale. It was hard to tell stories of my own with her intense gaze that you knew that she too was listening as well as I was too her. A woman like her one doesn't come by often. I don't think I've laughed as much with anyone as I did with her tonight.

Unfortunately she's here all alone. I didn't ask too much about why she's here or what exactly she has because it's not my place. Some may say it's not my place to be having dinner with patients either but, whatever. We talked literally for hours, until the cafeteria was about to shut down. I'd only known her for a couple hours but it didn't feel that way.

"You want to know something funny?" She tells me once we're in the elevator.

"Sure."

Her eyes twinkle a bit as she smiles before looking at the floor. "I thought you were a dream."

My heart leaps a bit as she continues .

"The drugs they have me on. They make me high almost. That day I saw you, I couldn't believe how beautiful you are. It had to be a dream."

"I could say the same about you." I answer as the doors swing open.

* * *

"You know I don't think, I've had that much fun in a while. It's weird because it's like I've known you my whole life." She says.

"Yeah. It's fun talking to someone." I tell her before bitting my lower lip, trying to build up enough courage to say what I want to next. "You can sit if you want."

I can see her considering it. Leaning up against the wall of my hospital room, I see her eye the chair. "I have to go. Finish up some stuff and then head home."

I understand. We've spent the entire evening together. Just talking. When she said it was like we've known each other our whole lives she had taken the words I was to scared to say out of my mouth.

I nod, noticing her eyes lingering as she slowly backs out of the room.

"I'll see you soon." I say once before she's completely out of the room.

* * *

I'll be honest. I debate for a long time whether I should go in or not. I had meant to get back sooner but work had got busy. I build up enough nerve t knock on the door. I enter as soon as I hear Lucy say. "Come in."

Once entering the room the blonde lets out a laugh. "Are you sure your in the right room?"

I can't help but to smile. Something I do a lot around Lucy. "I'm not sure." I say pretending to ponder a bit. "Would you happen to be one Lucy Fabray?

"Why yes I am." She nods putting down the crotchet needles.

"You didn't tell me you crotcheted."

"I don't." She smiles. "There was a class I went to the other day in the recreation room. They gave us practice material."

I nod looking at her hands. "What did you learn?"

"A hat." She says holding it up.

I go and sit in the seat closes to her. "I uh. I got you something."

Her hands pause over the yarn as she ask. "Me?"

"Yeah." I hold out the book. "Here."

Pale hands gingerly take it from mine and I can't help but notice the tiny quiver in them.

"I don't read classics a lot but when I do it's always something by him. Being here alone can be hard but sometimes a book can be your best friend."

"You didn't have to."

I shrug because I'm not so sure about that. There was something like a pull that made me go into the bookstore I pass everyday without a second thought on my way to work. When I found myself roaming the shelves and stopping in front of F. Scott Fitzgerald's collection on display I instantly thought of the green eyed beauty at the hospital. She had that elegant, chic, 1920's glam and beauty to her. I had it in my hands and at the check out before I even realized what she was doing.

"You know. This is one of my favorites."

I look back up at her, because really? It couldn't possibly be. "Lies."

"It's the truth." She looks at me. Her eyes almost look unsure. "Thank you."

"Listen. I know it must be hard being here all by yourself." She starts to say it's okay, but I continue. "If you ever need anything. You can call me."

Her eyes look up toward the ceiling, as if she's trying not to cry. And once again a thought floats through my mind of how beautiful she is.

* * *

A/N: Okay so that was my entry for Quinntana Week Day One. I'm not sure if I really like it but it's been an idea floating around in my mind for a while. May continue. May not. Not sure. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Her eyes are stunning. They stun me right into silence and awe. The way her eyes dance when the sun reflects in her hazel eyes make me feel something warm inside. Like a dream. She's walking toward me though and I feel my heart start to beat a quicker. With every step closer to me her smile widens and all I can do is stand still. She has me enamored.

"Santana." She says and it's almost like she breathes it out, like my name is some precious prayer or promise.

I try to speak and can't. I clear my throat before stammering out a hey. Sometimes I can be such a dork. I stare down towards the ground trying to recover from my slight embarassment. I'm smart. I'm sexy. Why the hell do I get like this whenever she's around?

"I didn't know you were into shopping locally."

"Well, I am a nutritionist and looking like this does require me to make sure what I'm putting in my body is legit. There's also the whole supporting the community and I know exactly where my money is going." I ramble on nervously only to stop when I look back up only to catch her biting her lip before she tilts her head and I swear her eyes glow even more beautiful in the midday sun.

"Well it seems like it's definitely working out for your benefit." Pause. The way she is looking at me, to her biting her lip, to that last comment...is that suppose to mean I look good. I know I do, but she thinks I do...right?

I laugh as it all floats around my head before I think about who I'm talking to."They let you out?"

"You make it sound like I can't leave without someones permission."

"Um. You can't."

I watch as she rolls her eyes, it's cute. "I'm here on the outing."

"They bought you guys to the farmers market?" I ask confused. I know the hospital plans trips for patients and caregivers like going to museums, the zoo, and even trips to WalMart for essentials needed during their stay, but the farmers market usually wasn't one of the stops on those weekly outings.

Lucy smirks, looking down toward her hand passing over the bin of peapods. "Well, I may have left the group."

Her eyes shift back up to meet mine and I smile. "That's dangerous."

"I'm feeling great today. Besides I'll catch back up with them, I wanted to explore the city I only see through my window."

I nod, because I understand. Being cooped up in a room, doctors and nurses coming in every few hours, it must be hard to see people moving through their daily lives. She's gotten closer and her perfume invades my senses and I blame it all on that for the next thing that comes out of my mouth.

"I can be your tourguide."

Her smile, it almost rivals the warmth in her eyes. It's everything.

* * *

"And this is The Public Garden." She smiles at me and I have to will my legs to keep walking. It's hard to believe a woman so brilliant, so beautiful could be so shy. Santana says something and I'm too caught up in everything that is her that I miss it.

"Hm?"

"I've never actually been here before."

I grasp her arm to halt her movement. "You haven't been to a lot of the places you've shown me today have you?"

She looks at me with a sideways glance. "How did you know?"

"When we were driving pass the Museum of Science you said it was the Museum of Science and Industry."

A shy laugh comes from her mouth as she starts to say something but stops. She opens her mouth again only to laugh this time. "Want to sit?"

We sit down on a bench. I suppress the urge to reach out and grasp her hand. Honestly, I've had it all day. Especially as we drove pass various landmarks that she tried to name, watching her from the passenger seat with one hand on the wheel and the other laying on the console; every now and then she'd look away from the road toward me, a smile on her face. I don't think I've laughed as much as I do with Santana since I've been here, I know for sure I haven't.

"I spend most of my time at work." She says. "I don't get out much."

"What about your family?"

"They live in Ohio."

"Is that where your from?"

"Yep. A little town called Lima."

She looks out into the distance as if reminiscing. It's in this moment that I know I want to know everything about her. Her family, her job, her life. I may not have enough courage right now to reach out and grasp her hand, instead I settle for the second best thing I can think of. I lean onto her slowly, resting my head on her shoulder. I smile when instead of feeling her body tense she relaxes. She welcomes it. I close my eyes taking in her scent.

"Tell me about it. Lima."

* * *

She's warm and I don't want to go. But it's been a while we've been sitting here talking now the sun is setting, it's getting colder, and I'm hungry.

"So you did cheerleading in college too?"

"Mhm." I answer. "It paid my way."

"Wow. If there's one thing I love, it's dedication."

My heart leaps a little and I know it shouldn't. My brain is making connections so fast that it's not being logical. She loves dedication, she doesn't love the dedication I have in me because that would make her love me.

Too fast. Way too fast. We've only known each other a little over a month. We're not even dating. I don't even know if she would want to date me. Would it even be ethical? She's not my patient, but she is a patient. What does-

"Hey." She says. She's no longer leaning on me, her face is right in front of mine. "Where'd you go there?"

"Nowhere." I say blinking away the random train of thought. "I should probably getting you back to the hospital."

She reaches out and clasp my right hand. Her eyes look dead into mine. "Not yet."

It's just a hand hold. Not even a legit hand hold, just her hand resting on top of mine, and the woman has got me under her command. Whatever she says, I'll do. Besides it's only around four. I find myself asking her a question before it's even fully formed in my mind.

"Are you hungry?"

* * *

Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. It's then there that I decide not only is Santana Lopez beautiful, hilarious, and one of the most amazing people I have ever met she is also cute. Adorably so.

It's definitely a moment that will be going into my journal later.

"Never?" She repeats again. Her palms now flat on the table. She's in serious disbelief as I shake my head. "Really, you're not joking?"

"No." Before I know it she claps her hands together twice. A moment later a waiter appears with a basket full of breadsticks.

"Thanks Karl." She says to the man when he places the basket on the table. Grabbing one she blows on it a little before extending her hand out towards me. The butterflies in my stomach feel like they've found the way to the chambers of my heart as she feeds me the breadstick. "Good isn't it?"

I nod, not trusting my voice just yet as I chew on the bread that is quite delicious.

"This is one place I do know about." She says before taking a bite of the breadstick.

Our evening goes on and I can't help but thinking this feels a lot like a date and how I wouldn't mind if it was. Before I know it, it's ending. We're a couple of blocks away from the hospital and I don't want it to end. I could listen to her talk forever, even if it is about how she has enough saved up that she could buy her own Breadstix. Her passion is something to be admired.

Her hand once again is laying on the console, almost like she's waiting for me to grab it. My heart rate goes up as does my anxiety.

Then I do it.

I take her hand in my own, intertwining our fingers before resting it back on the console. There I did it. Didn't think too much, and did it. It feels phenomenal. Who knew a handhold could be so profound?

She stops mid-sentence to look at me, then our hands, then the road. A smile making it's way on her face, before she continues on.

The crazy anxious beating of my heart slows and starts to beat again to the familiar rhythm I get whenever I'm around Santana.

Her hand is warm, soft, and delicate, like her personality.

We pull into the main entrance of the hospital and I can feel the dread of saying goodbye take place. Awkwardly, she puts the car in park using her one hand.

It makes me smile.

She doesn't want to let go either.

"Will I see you Monday?" I ask.

"No. I'm going to be out all week. There's this seminar in Kentucky for nutritionist."

My heart does sink a little. A week with no Santana. What is a woman to do? I feel her squeeze my hand, then she's speaking. "You can call me though. I won't be in the seminar's all day."

"You can call me too." I tell her. I smirk at her, trying to hide my disappointment at her not being here for a week.

"That is true. And I will." She looks me in the eye. "I'm going to miss you."

This damn woman, her brown eyes so sincere I can't help but believer her. This damn goodbye, it feels like a part of me is leaving. What the hell? Why is it getting harder for me to breathe?

It hits me. Looking into her eyes. Here I thought I was falling for Santana Lopez. Now I find I no longer am falling, I have already fell. Fell hard. As my breathing returns, I tell her the only thing I can right now.

"I'm going to miss you too."


End file.
